Statement

My practice centres on the vessel form. I build clay vessels using coil-building techniques dating back to matriarchal Neolithic pottery cultures, and my work makes ongoing reference to the female ceramic record and archetypal vessel forms.

I focus on the materiality of clay, exploring its possibilities and resistances. My intention is that the meditative focus of making is retained in the work, and the stillness of a holding or containing space is expressed through the fuller feminine forms.

My mark making is intentional, creating movement and texture on surfaces which become highly responsive to light. I smoke-fire with sustainably and locally sourced wood shavings. The vessels acquire a rich surface where the smoke somehow imbues the pieces with a sense of ancient wisdom and elemental power, echoing the mystical traditions of the past.

My affinity with clay has been lifelong. After studying in the Midlands in the 1980s, I established studios firstly in Derby and then in rural Southwest Scotland where I continue to live and work.